Recent growth in data traffic driven by mobile applications on smart phone devices, tablets, and the like has continued to strain the capacity of today's networks. Therefore, network operators are increasingly utilizing un-licensed WiFi spectrum to cope with such network congestion, and this trend is expected to accelerate further as traffic demand continues to grow.
The use of unlicensed spectrum is a cost-effective means to add the needed capacity, given the limited availability and high cost of licensed spectrum. Currently, a wireless local area network (WLAN) may be integrated as a separate access network to the third generation partnership project (3GPP) evolved packet core (EPC). This may result in extra costs for deploying the complete WLAN access network, and impact the 3GPP core network entities. Existing WiFi offload solutions may be based on this deployment model of distinct 3GPP and WLAN access networks using a common core with selective switching of flows based on operator/user policies.
Other solutions are possible that result in a tighter integration and aggregation of 3GPP access network components with WLAN access networks without any impact to and reusing the same 3GPP core network elements. These solutions may enhance the overall user experience without degrading quality of service (QoS), mobility, security and power management when capacity is expanded to unlicensed spectrum.
It would be desirable to achieve such optimized capacity extension without duplicating any functionality already provided by 3GPP core network elements, (e.g., through use of opportunistic carrier aggregation at the edge of radio network, i.e., in the evolved Node-B (eNB)), while minimizing any changes to the WLAN access network/air-interface.